Through a series of unlikely events, Lewis Tater (Jeff Bridges), an aspiring western-writer ends up in depression-era Hollywood working for a poverty-row studio making B-oaters while trying to avoid a couple of shysters whose cash he inadvertently made off with. An uneven blend of slapstick, romance and a satire (at the expense early Tinseltown), the film has the look of a lightweight 1970s comedy and hasn't aged well. Movie fans (especially those familiar with John Wayne's prolific pre-celeb output with Lonestar Picitures) will likely enjoy the self-referential Hollywood shtick, but the sub-plot about the two gangsters gets tired fast and the ending is flat and predictable. Bridges makes for an affable 'innocent abroad' and the rest of the cast is fine.
Review of Hearts of the West
Hearts of the West
(1975)
Good natured comedy but the premise is better than the product.
30 April 2024